Le Puits de Grenelle
1841
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3059
Art Historical Context
**Le Puits de Grenelle created by Honoré Daum in 1841, a slice of everyday Parisian life during the July Monarchy. This lithograph depicts working-class residents queuing at a public well in the Grenelle neighborhood, a gritty area on Paris's outskirts. Daumier a pioneering Realist artist and caricaturist, used such scenes to spotlight social inequalities, urban overcrowding, and the struggles of the urban poor amid France's rapid industrialization. As a master of lithography, Daumier exploited the medium's versatility for bold, expressive lines and tonal effects, enabling mass reproduction i...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier · 1810–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...